Madison police spokesman Joel DeSpain said the department was notified by hospital authorities last week about the injuries. He said the department’s Special Victims Unit detectives have been investigating the incident since being notified on Friday.

Leah Huibregtse, a spokeswoman for the hospital, would not specify what the injuries were or how many infants were injured, citing patient privacy issues.

Huibregtse said the hospital has suspended an employee while the investigation is ongoing. Enhanced safety in the unit includes additional staff and security members present, she said.

“We were heartbroken to recently learn of patient safety concerns regarding some of our youngest patients,” Meriter Hospital said in a statement.

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In the Madison area, Strategic Behavioral Health says it will build a psychiatric hospital with 72 beds. Other providers say it’s too early to tell how much the new facility is needed, since the company hasn’t released details about what services it will offer.